This month's interview features DV-8! Although he hasn't been a member for nearly as long as some of the previous interviewees, DV-8 has already left his mark on the community by writing several guides as well as frequently leaving helpful feedback on the work of others. As such, the community decided it was high time to get to know DV-8 a little better, so we asked him about his time on the site and experiences playing SMITE before finishing off the interview with a few more personal questions. Enjoy!

1. Let's start by talking about your time as a member of our community. How did you end up joining SMITEFire, and who is/are the first member(s) you remember interacting with?

In my early days of Smite, I would search for builds online. In doing so, I was frequently directed to this site, where I became for familiar with it. I also commonly referred to several different guides.

Eventually, I decided that I liked the community and what it had to offer a newer player like myself, and I decided to join.

The first members that I recall interacting with were BranMuffin, GameGeekFan, and Taco.

2. You're a few months away from being a member of the site for a full year. How has your activity changed during that time, do you still view builds/guides as often now as you did when you first joined?

I can't believe I'm coming up on a year!

My activity has dropped a bit, as when I first started I was super involved and trying to learn as much as I could. Now that I have developed a solid knowledge base, there is less for me to learn, and my activity has declined respectively. However, I am still fairly active.

The biggest difference on viewing builds/guides now as compared to when I first joined is that now I compare what I see with what I have learned in the past. I can now differentiate between an effective and ineffective build, whereas before, I wasn't as adept at doing so. My acquired game knowledge now allows me to construct my own builds for gods without having to use a reference from other players.

However, there are some unique builds that I may not consider that someone else has shared, and I always think it is cool to see someone doing something a little off-meta that works for them.

3. What do you like and dislike most about SMITEFire?

I like SmiteFire because it serves as a resource to newer players who are looking for guidance/direction in how to go about building/playing certain gods. Moreover, the community is generally positive and helpful, and we have fantastic Community Managers & Moderators. I've also always liked the aesthetics of guides and item builds, and think that it has a nice, clean look. I also love the way that you can link/reference gods, skills, abilities, and items when commenting on a post.

I dislike the voting system first and foremost. I think this has contributed to the bad reputation this site receives on occasion. While the site generally caters to newer players, I think it has a tendency to scare away veteran players. Consequently, there is a lack of discussion on advanced concepts as compared to other sites, which can make it feel basic and unchallenging to higher level players.

4. As of the release of this interview, you have two published guides, but also thirteen deleted guides. Do you regret removing any of those guides, and what are your current plans in terms of guide writing?

Woah, I didn't realize I had deleted so many. I don't regret it, really, because there was no way that I was going to be able to maintain them or keep them relevant to newer seasons, so I decided to just do away with them to declutter the god guide pages.

If I release any newer guides, they will most likely just be builds that show a different off-meta way of building a god that the average player may not consider. I like to encourage variety and free-thinking in a game that seems to have the meta laid out for players to follow blindly.

5. A musical artist, a theatre in London, a fashion brand; all of these can be found when googling the name "DV8". What is the story behind your nickname, and how long have you been using it?

It's a play on the word "Deviate". I have always been a natural rebel who operates in unorthodox ways. I like disturbing the peace (in a good way, though) by pushing people out of their comfort zones and opening them up to new ideas and ways of thinking. Although it may have a negative perception, I view being deviant as a good thing.

6. Let's move on and talk a little bit more about SMITE. How many hours a week do you (approximately) play SMITE, and what is your preferred game mode?

As far as playtime, it can vary. It could be 14 hrs one week then 7 the next.

One of the reasons I can log so many hours is because my preferred game mode is Ranked Conquest, which can have long lasting games. This is the game mode that I think offers the most variety, and is the main avenue of competitive gameplay.

7. Considering your guides and your mastery-related blog about Hachiman, one would assume your favorite role is ADC. Is that correct? If so, what is it that you like most about the role? If not, which other role are you more intrigued by and why?

I enjoy playing all roles, but ADC is my most comfortable role. I enjoy the challenging aspect of basic attacking, having to aim, predict enemy movement, and position yourself accordingly. I also like being able to output massive amounts of damage in the late game and feeling like a beast when carrying a team and bullying my way through objectives.

8. While the bio in your profile is not exactly extensive, it does state that you are looking to improve as a player. With that in mind, do you frequently analyze your own play and/or the play of others? If so, how do you go about this analysis, do you use any specific resources?

A lot of my gameplay analysis is done in the moment; in the heat of the game, and not usually afterwards.

This was challenging at first, because it seemed that there were so many things happening that it was impossible to keep track of everything. Gold, items, teammates, objectives, minion waves, etc.. It was hectic during the learning process.

Now, I have gotten better at slowing the game down and evaluating what needs to be done in a given moment. Analyzing the situation at hand involves considering others (enemies and teammates) and looking at the match from a global, collective perspective.

To prepare for matches and develop a knowledge base that I can draw upon, I do use resources. Jungle practice is a valuable asset for learning, as well as SmiteFire, The Word of Thoth article, and Elite Ownage's Smite Damage Calculator.

9. We're now almost four months into season 5 of SMITE. What do you think of the changes that have been made so far and the direction in which SMITE is headed? How do you feel the current state of the game compares to previous seasons?

The new season's changes were pretty interesting, and it seems like the new Blessings are more specific to certain roles and offer less versatility. Whereas previously, everyone was building Bumba's Mask and such.

The new map is also an interesting change, and I think it hurt a lot of low mobility gods and highlighted the high mobility gods. I liked the changes to the jungle as well.

As far as the direction that Smite is headed, it seems to me like the new gods are really skewing god selection. Currently, we have more gods than ever before, but it seems like the same few gods are selected over and over, which can make for repetitive matches with less variety.

I also find it interesting how the meta gets laid out for players to follow, and everyone seems to just copy trends, without comprehending the reasoning behind it. I think half the fun of the game is experimenting, coming up with your own ideas, and molding them to fit your playstyle. Basically, more independent thinking would be nice, but I suppose it was like this in previous seasons as well (although I wouldn't really know because I wasn't here :p)

10. What is the funniest memory you have from your time playing SMITE? Additionally or alternatively, what is your weirdest experience in SMITE?

For funniest memory, I was playing with a buddy who slipped up and called the Fire Giant the "Fire Hydrant", and I about died laughing. It was hilarious because he was slightly raging and was being completely serious in the match. But then he made a mistake like that. I still call it The Fire Hydrant to this day. I can't undo it, lol.

For weirdest memory, I was playing with a buddy in a Conquest match. He was Thor, and he was completely obliterating the enemy team. By the end of the match, he had over 50 kills by himself. I had never seen anything like it. It was strange, especially how the enemies didn't surrender.

11. In this final section, we'd like to know a little more about you as a person. Besides SMITE, what other games do you play? Do you have a favorite genre?

Honestly, Smite is pretty much the only videogame that I play on a consistent basis.

Every now and then I'll play Xbox with some friends, but it's just basic stuff like Rocket League, NBA 2K18, Call of Duty WW2, etc..

12. Besides gaming, what would you say are your other main hobbies?

For fun, I'd say basketball is my main hobby. I played a lot growing up, but it wasn't until recently that I really became a student of the game, diving into the intricacies of the sport and all of its complexities. Not only am I playing often but I also keep up with the professional scene (the Boston Celtics in particular).

Aside from that, I also enjoy reading. Subjects that I find interesting are philosophy, biology, physiology, psychology, astronomy, nature (including animals and natural processes), and spirituality. Some of my favorite authors at the moment are Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli, Bruce Lee, Jiddu Krishnamurti, and Terence McKenna.

13. What is that you do for a living? Alternatively, what are you working towards doing for a living?

I'm currently in a warehouse doing basic work. Shipping and receiving products, driving a forklift, etc.. I'm just doing that to save up money. In the future, I plan to relocate to the south and live by the ocean. I'm not trying to wait until I'm old and retired, either, I'm talking about in the near future.

14. What is/are your favorite movie(s)? Also, what's the last movie you've seen and what did you think of it?

I can't say I have a favorite, really. There are several movies that I enjoy.

Some good movies that I've seen recently are "Instinct" and "Good Will Hunting". I thought that they both had a deep meaning that can be interpreted differently depending on the viewer.

15. Finally, do you have a "bucket list" of things you'd like to achieve and places you'd like to visit in the (near) future? What is (or would be) at the top of the list?

In the future, I'd like to visit California, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Brazil.

At the top of my list is probably Brazil, but it is a good distance away, so I will probably go somewhere closer first.

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SmiteFire & Smite

Smite is an online battleground between mythical gods. Players choose from a selection of gods, join session-based arena combat and use custom powers and team tactics against other players and minions. Smite is inspired by Defense of the Ancients (DotA) but instead of being above the action, the third-person camera brings you right into the combat. And, instead of clicking a map, you use WASD to move, dodge, and fight your way through the detailed graphics of SMITE's battlegrounds.